Chinese sales company Beijing Hugoeast Media has boarded Japanese director Takuro Ijichi’s feature debut Vicissitude, ahead of its world premiere in the Asian New Talent competition of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (June 14-23).
It marks the first Japanese title for the Beijing-based company, which handles worldwide sales excluding Japan.
The Japanese drama follows two boys who grow up in a rural town in Kagoshima prefecture where they find joy in nature until they learn the absurdities of life. The film touches on the social issues of loneliness in Japanese society and high suicide rates among young generations. The main cast including Gaku Fuchigami, Ryutaro Noguchi and Machuri Saigo are all first-time actors.
It is produced by Letheany, the Japanese company founded by director Ijichi and producer-actress Natsuka Ogawa. Both filmmakers studied at the Beijing Film Academy. Ijichi’s short film credits include sci-fi romance Whatever You Want It To Be and The Sound Of Stars, which focussed on mental health.
Apart from international sales, Beijing Hugoeast Media is also a buyer and recently acquired Jonás Trueba’s The Other Way Around, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at this year’s Cannes, as well as Berlinale Golden Bear winner Dahomey by Mati Diop, Antonella Sudasassi Furniss’ Memories Of A Burning Body, Sho Miyake’s All The Long Nights and Carlo Sironi My Summer With Irène, all from Berlin.
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